GameCo to bring one of the most popular fighting games of all time to casinos around the world
LAS VEGAS, July 2017 — GameCo, Inc., creator of the world’s first Video Game Gambling Machine (VGM™), announced today the company has entered into a license agreement with BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc., pursuant to which the companies will jointly develop a skill-based gambling video game based on one of the world’s most popular fighting games, “SOULCALIBUR™ II”. Ranked by Complex Magazine as one of the best fighting games of all time, “SOULCALIBUR™ II” is the third installment in the popular video game series of weapon-based fighting games that originally debuted in 1995. GameCo’s SOULCALIBUR™ skill-based video game gambling machine is expected to debut in casinos in late 2017.
The “SOULCALIBUR™ (tentative name) VGM” will feature a faster-paced take on the classic 3D fighting experience of the popular SOULCALIBUR™ series, while maintaining the same feel and core gameplay elements of the franchise that veteran gamers will appreciate. The game, which will take approximately 45 to 60 seconds to play, is being designed with game play features that will be entertaining and familiar to existing fans of the series, while also being easy for casual players to grasp and enjoy.
In accordance with this license agreement, BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc. will leverage their original engineering, production, and creative teams to adapt the game to GameCo’s innovative VGM. GameCo will hone the gameplay for a shorter form session and optimize it for a casino gaming entertainment experience. This marks the first time that a AAA fighting video game will be adapted for skill-based gaming at land-based casinos. The popular SOULCALIBUR™ fighting game experience from video game consoles and arcades will now be available at casinos worldwide.
“We’re excited to collaborate with BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc. to bring this highly regarded classic fighting video game for the GameCo VGM experience,” said Blaine Graboyes, co-founder and CEO of GameCo. “We are focused on developing entirely new gaming entertainment experiences that enable casino operators to evolve their gaming floor with products that engage current players and simultaneously attract new players. Our VGMs combine the engagement of playing video games with the excitement of gambling to develop new immersive offerings that help casinos generate critical incremental revenue.”
“SOULCALIBUR™ is a fan-favorite among video game enthusiasts, and we’re excited to bring the franchise to casino floors, where we can present the brand in a completely new environment with GameCo’s revolutionary VGMs,” said Yoshiyasu Horiuchi, Executive Officer, AM Business Unit, of BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc.
GameCo’s patented arcade-style VGM cabinets feature a single-player 45-90 second video game adapted from top console, PC, and mobile games that allow a player’s skill to determine the payout and winnings, while maintaining the same casino-based economics as slot machines. As skill-based slot machine technology emerges as the next generation of casino gaming, VGMs provide casino operators with a more diverse gaming environment to attract new players and generate incremental casino revenue. Throughout 2017, GameCo expects to continue its position as the market leader in skill-based gaming with the release of 10 or more new VGM titles, including games under license from major game developers and entertainment IP companies.
GameCo changed history in November 2016 when it became the first skill-based gaming company in the world to debut its video game gambling machine on casino floors in Atlantic City. Since then, the company has moved into its second gaming jurisdiction in the U.S. by deploying VGMs at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut, and plans to be operational in most major U.S. gambling jurisdictions by the end of 2017. In addition to these international activations, GameCo is actively pursuing opportunities across the world in various regions including Europe, South America, and Asia.
About GameCo, Inc.:
GameCo is a pioneering company uniting the experience of playing video games with the excitement of gambling by creating the world’s first video game gambling machines (VGM™). GameCo’s VGM is the first platform to bring video game play to the casino floor engaging a new generation of casino customers. The first video game skill-based gaming platform approved by any regulator in the United States, GameCo’s patented VGM proprietary arcade-style cabinets allow a player’s skill to determine the payout and winnings while maintaining the same casino-based economics as slot machines. GameCo is developing VGM games under license from major game developers and entertainment IP companies, including Paramount’s “Mission Impossible” and “Paranormal” brands, and “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” from StudioCanal S.A.S.
GameCo’s VGM won the Silver Medal in the Best Slot Product category at the 16th Annual Global Gaming Business Gaming & Technology Awards. GameCo was founded by experienced video game, casino, technology, and live event executives from Scientific Games, IGT, and AGS along with award-winning producers for game publishers such as Blizzard Entertainment, WarGaming, Ubisoft, DreamWorks, and The World Series of Video Games.
GameCo is privately held and headquartered in New York City with additional offices in Las Vegas. For the latest GameCo news, please visit www.gameco.com or follow the company on Twitter at twitter.com/GameCoInc.
About BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc.:
We deliver various products and services catering to a worldwide audience in areas such as network content, home video game software and arcade game machines based on our IP (Intellectual Property) Axis. We give shape to “a new type of fun” with amazing ideas and newer technology unavailable elsewhere. Furthermore, we make ordinary everyday lives more enjoyable and aim to realize “more fun for everyone” that allows customers throughout the world to keep smiling.
CONTACT:
James Woodrow, Preferred Public Relations, (702) 254-5704, [email protected]
Web Site: http://gameco.com
